How does environmental regulation affect real green technology innovation and strategic green technology innovation?

Although green technology is the core competitiveness of sustainable development, it is still crucial to identify whether green technology innovation under environmental constraints is strategic or real. Based on the R&D motivation of innovation subjects, the technical complexity of patents and the value of patents, this paper divides green technology innovation into real green technology innovation (RGTI) and strategic green technology innovation (SGTI). Based on a sample of 284 Chinese cities from 2004 to 2019, this study uses the panel fixed-effects model to analyze the impact and internal mechanisms of environmental regulation (ER) on urban RGTI and SGTI. The results show that a “U-shaped” relationship between ER and SGTI (RGTI); however, SGTI seems more sensitive to real ER. Additionally, high fiscal subsidies and industrial agglomeration are conducive to helping the ER induce RGTI. While under the condition of high foreign direct investment, ER is more likely to induce SGTI. Finally, the impact of ER on SGTI and RGTI is affected by heterogeneous factors, such as geographical location, resource endowment, pollution, and industrial scale. This study provides a theoretical and policy basis for governments to optimize the intensity of ER to facilitate the formation of real green innovations.